Leviticus
Post List
Parashat Vayikra
Who are you listening to? Have you noticed that it is almost impossible to go somewhere and experience complete quiet? As technology has increased and the ability to communicate expanded, we are bombarded by voices and messages from all angles. And in this post-modern age one voice seems to be equal to any other. And in all this, wisdom and knowledge has not abounded, but confusion has. So who are…
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Parashat Tzav
Great at being ungrateful The Temple was not a ‘nice’ place to be. It was a bloody and smelly place, not the place for the squeamish, blood was everywhere. There were burning corpses of animals already lifted up and offered as sacrifices to G-d, their blood draining away into the gullies and drains around the altar. Blood, and the sacrifices generally, were core to the daily work in the Mishkan…
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Parashat Shmini
Righteous Fire Let me ask you a searching question. Apart from the Lord, what is the defining feature you automatically think of when you think of Judaism? Is Torah the most important thing, theme and concept we are meant to hold and cherish? I think actually if we consider the space devoted to the Mishkan and the constant and ongoing offerings there, the structure and numbers of priests and their…
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Parashat Tazria
Leprosy, a bit of a sore issue? This whole section seems so yucky and earthy to our modern sensitivities that we almost think it has to be consigned to the ‘olden days’. How do we even begin to connect with a section which talks about discharges and emissions, how these make you unclean? What about the uncleanness itself as a concept? Is this merely ritual, sin orientated or spiritual too?…
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Parashat Metzora
Influences In the Haftorah portion attached to Metzora the thematic link of the skin afflictions caused by sin, in particular the sin of lashon hara (gossip, slander) is carried forward and developed into a real life event .Four leprous men star during a time when famine had engulfed Samaria and they in turn bring about a turning point in the conflict with the Syrian army. The critical issue though here…
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Parashat Achrei Mot
This portion begins with the aftermath of the death of Nadav and Avihu. They died because they decided to do their own thing, offer fire in a way they thought God would accept. God had made it clear how He wanted to be followed and served, and that was not it. No surprise then that the laws pertaining to Yom Kippur should follow directly on from this, the priests offered…
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Parashat Kedoshim
Reactive Land This double portion focuses completely on redressing the balance after the death of Nadav and Avihu and their sin of presumption, a presumption that God would accept anything they did and the inherent dangers of the people being taught the wrong thing due to their actions if not words. The long section on holiness naturally flows from this event, a corrective reminder of the path of righteousness, a…
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Parashat Emor
Parashat Emor states the broad design for God’s people: “Be ye holy as I am holy”. Indeed we learn a profound lesson – repeated for us twice here in Leviticus 21:8 and 22:32-33 – that it is God Himself who makes us holy. He is intimately involved in the process and status of our sanctity; as with so many areas of our faith, we discover that everything comes from Him,…
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Parashat Behar
Matters of the heart Our portion opens with the teachings surrounding the Yovel year and Shmittah: how the Land needs to rest from our labours and we learn that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word spoken by God. It is trust and faith that bring life; the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof. In the Haftarah, this message continues: Israel was about to…
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Parashat Bechukotai
Matters of the heart Our portion opens with the teachings surrounding the Yovel year and Shmittah: how the Land needs to rest from our labours and we learn that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word spoken by God. It is trust and faith that bring life; the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof. In the Haftarah, this message continues: Israel was about to…
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